


And Then There Was One - A ten minute play (project)

by awheckingdang



Category: No Fandom
Genre: Other, Screenplay/Script Format
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-07
Updated: 2018-11-07
Packaged: 2019-08-20 06:25:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16550639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/awheckingdang/pseuds/awheckingdang
Summary: a mother, a daughter, and a seeing-eye dog.





	And Then There Was One - A ten minute play (project)

CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS  
EILEEN: southern, 17, hateful and nasty to her mama, loves Freddie  
MAMA: also southern, 53, matronly, needs her daughter to need her  
FREDERICK/FREDDIE: EILEEN’s seeing eye dog

SCENE ONE  
(Lights up on EILEEN, holding/petting some sort of pet/seeing eye dog)

EILEEN:  
Mama always told me i looked best in blue, blue was her favorite color, she said it was the color of daddy’s eyes. Dark blue, stormy grey blue. Stern and “judicial”  
Never really understood what that meant, but it sounded comforting as a kid.

I lost my sight when i was 11. After that, everything was real difficult at first.  
I wanted to just quit everything, but i realized real quick that that wasn’t an option for me. So I had to go to one of them special classes and learn how to read with my hands.  
People ask me all the time if I often think about what it used to be like to see.  
I do.  
I kinda wish I had been born blind. Nothing to miss then. 

Sometimes, when we’ve already had dinner and I don’t have any school work, I’ll sit on the front porch with my mama and she’ll describe the yard to me. She’ll tell me about Freddie running around the yard, with his lil nubby tail wagging and running into the fence. The crumbly red mud and the grass and thick green patches of moss on the trees. But nowadays I just stay in my bedroom upstairs. Upstairs. Away from everything. Except Freddie. (gives him a lil kiss or something)

I like the rainstorms because it’s something i can see… even though i can’t see. you know?  
It’s so ironic how the thunder scared me as a child for the same reason.  
Now i cherish that.  
I think mama likes it because it reminds her of my daddy.  
Blue eyes.  
Blue.  
Sky.  
Sky blue.  
(Lights down on EILEEN. Dog is taken off.) (MAMA enters)

 

MAMA:  
I really do try my best to raise her right… I feel guilty sometimes, I want to start over. I would start over if i could. I would trade my life for hers without a second of hesitation. She can be a little frustrating at times, but you can understand why. She’s just .. troubled. It’s hard to talk the way we used to. The small stuff is so magnified.  
I was always good at taking care of others, and I wanted to heal them, so I became a nurse when I was about 35. I just wish she’d let me take care of her sometimes.  
I just wanna be a good mom, you know?

EILEEN:  
(NOT sweet, annoyed) What time is it Mama?

MAMA:  
You’re not late to work, if that’s what you’re wondering.  
But it’s 1:00, sweet pea (pause)  
You know you don’t have to work, right darlin? You’re young, you’re gonna be workin for the rest of your life. 

EILEEN:  
I’m just trying to help out.

MAMA:  
I’m your mother Eileen, This is my job.  
it’s not carrying the sky for me to take care of you.

EILEEN:  
Excuse me for not wanting your pity! 

MAMA:  
It’s not pity, it’s- 

EILEEN:  
(hateful) It’s what? What is it? (pause) I don’t need help!  
If I needed it I would ask for it, but I’m not totally helpless. 

MAMA:  
(quietly and ashamed) I know. I just… I know.

 

EILEEN:  
We’ve had this same fight over and over. If anything, you’re the blind one Mama, because you can’t see anything other than what YOU want.

MAMA:  
(meek) I know. I’m sorry. 

EILEEN:  
Whatever, it’s... fine, i guess. (It’s not fine.)

(MAMA exits. EILEEN is left alone on the stage.) 

EILEEN:  
(goes to pet the space beside her, doesn’t feel Freddie, whistles, pause, tsk noises, another whistle, pause, waiting to hear pitter patter of dog feet, but only silence)  
Where’s Freddie? (whistles) c’mere boy! Freddie boy! (makes a tsk tsk tsk noise)  
Where’d that dang dog run off to? 

SCENE TWO:

(Lights up on MAMA, holding FREDDIE, just being sweet and petting him or something)

MAMA:  
(starts normal, slowly becomes more and more manic, a bad spiral)  
She doesn’t need me anymore… Isn’t that crazy… I think she’s just being silly. She just doesn’t KNOW that she needs me. She definitely needs me. I’m her mama. It’s what I’m supposed to do, right Freddie? I wish I could just find a way to comfort her and take care of her, but she just has every little thing figured out, doesn’t she? Just think she knows everything and doesn’t need me anymore. That she’s all grown and can talk to me like that. Like- like- like I’m some sort of pesky nuisance, like a bug on the ground!  
Oh I raised her so much better than this, I know I did! But what can ya do? Am I right? What can ya do? What can I do? Tell me Freddie, what can I do?!  
(actor adlibs ranting until scene change lights/lights down)

 

 

SCENE THREE:  
(lights up on EILEEN, somewhere downtown, more populated) 

EILEEN:  
(handing out some sort of “missing animal” posters)  
Have you seen this dog? Please call me if you see him, thank you so much.  
(MAMA enters)

MAMA:  
Eileen, let’s go back home, We’ve handed out dozens of these posters, I’m sure someone will call if they’ve seen him. 

EILEEN:  
(angry/upset) What am I gonna do if they don’t mama? I don’t even remember if he had his collar on. What if he got hit or something? What if there’s no point in even searching? 

MAMA:  
(walking EILEEN over to their car)  
I think you’re just being silly and over thinking it, come on now, let’s go home so I can make us something nice for dinner, here I’ll help you into the car.  
(grabs EILEEN) 

EILEEN:  
Get offa me! I don’t need your help! I just wanna know where Freddie is!

MAMA:  
Listen here if you don’t stop making a scene, It’s gonna be bad news for you later, you understand me miss?

EILEEN:  
(through clenched teeth) Yes.

MAMA:  
Yes what?

EILEEN:  
Yes ma’am.  
(Lights down)  
SCENE FOUR  
(EILEEN’s bedroom)

MAMA:  
(extra sweet, sickly sweet) How’re you feeling, hon? Can I getcha anything? I can fetch you some vegetable soup from the store... Would you like that?

EILEEN:  
Stop crowding me, Mama! 

MAMA:  
I’m just trying to help you. I know you’re upset about Freddie but I’m still here! You have me Eileen! I can help too.

EILEEN:  
I don’t want your help! I don’t want you at all! 

(Hurt silence/long pause or beat)

MAMA:  
That’s fine. Fine…(to herself) You don’t deserve Freddie…  
(BEAT. decides to say what she’s really thinking.)  
You’re a nasty creature, Eileen. Talking to your own mother like I’m a bug on the ground or something. Like I’m the dog.  
I’m no animal Eileen. All I want is to LOVE you! And that’s not something I have to earn from you! I birthed you for god’s sake! I DESERVE TO BE LOVED BACK!  
YOU KNOW I’M SO GLAD I GUTTED THAT WRETCHED DOG.  
HE DIDN’T RAISE YOU OR HELP YOU OR HEAL YOU, I DID!  
I DID EVERYTHING! I’VE DONE IT ALL EILEEN!

EILEEN:  
Oh my god oh m-

MAMA:  
I KNOW! I’M SO GLAD I DID IT TOO! NOW YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL, EVERY TIME YOU TALK TO ME WITH THAT CUTTIN’ TONE, IT’S LIKE YOUR SKINNING MY HEART LIKE A DOG!!! It whimpers the same way Freddie did.  
But there’s no one else to love now Eileen. I have missed you so much.  
(crying) Come back to me honey, come give your sweet mama some love, she’s sacrificed so much for you. 

(EILEEN tries to escape and jiggles the doorknob, before realizing it’s locked) 

MAMA:  
Eileen… are you going somewhere? Did you hear me. Come give me a hug. Now. Please. 

EILEEN:  
You’re insane. 

MAMA:  
Excuse me?

EILEEN:  
I wanna leave, let me out.

MAMA:  
You’re acting a little strange, honey, I think what you need is some homemade vegetable soup. Doesn’t that sound nice? You can even help me, yea?

EILEEN:  
No! Let me leave! I don’t wanna be here. You’re crazy, you’re, you’re- I’m calling the police!

MAMA:  
Oh well I’m afraid FREDDIE chewed up the telephone cords. So I’m afraid you’re just gonna have to stay here. With me.  
(MAMA goes to hug EILEEN) 

EILEEN:  
YOU STAY FAR AWAY FROM ME, DON’T COME ANY CLOSER.  
OR ELSE-

MAMA:  
(pleasant) Or else what?

EILEEN:  
I’ll- I’ll-

MAMA:  
(suddenly dark) You’re pathetic. You need me. You need mama.  
(MAMA starts towards EILEEN again.)  
(EILEEN notices she’s up against a window. She opens it.)

EILEEN:  
I hate you. I’d DIE before letting you help me, I don’t need you and I NEVER have.

MAMA:  
(happy sigh, as if eileen just said what she wanted to hear)  
I love you too.  
(MAMA goes to grab her, but she jumps out the window. MAMA leans out of the window to grab her foot but comes back up with only a shoe in hand.)

SCENE FIVE  
(Eileen's funeral)

MAMA:  
(Insincere. Gross. Fake.)  
Thank you all for coming to Eileen’s memorial service. Eileen was the sweetest daughter a mother could ask for. All she ever needed and wanted was some extra love and care. She was strong and courageous and fought the battle that many of us do not know, blindness. When her seeing eye dog Freddie went missing, she was so distraught but I never thought she’d do something like this. Never thought she'd kill herself. She had been so strong throughout everything. I guess this was just… a last straw of sorts.  
I’m sorry Eileen, I’m so sorry.  
Well. rest in peace sweet pea.


End file.
